Of course, I love the idea that Auron is Paine’s uncle. It definitely explains the resemblance between them, and helps hook together the two groups of characters in an intriguing way.

Nooj’s insecurities throughout this story are fascinating. At times he becomes a little Hamlet-like, for good and ill. Nooj’s worries about how Paine sees him in comparison with her uncle, bordering on jealousy, add a whole psychological subplot to the saga. I wonder how much of this is your Nooj, how much kunstarniki’s. He really is a curious mixture of arrogance and self-doubt.

The interplay between Yuna’s group and Paine’s is tricky and deftly handled, although Lulu seen through Nooj’s eyes is not the Lulu I’ve come to see! The glasses repair is a minor detail, but I do love it when magic is used in creative ways that transcend game mechanics.

I love Auron’s brief speech at the end: strong, decisive, and shocking.

Wee nitpick: “distance of Warrior’s head from the ground”: needs [the]